Every once in a while you get one of those books on a whim because the illustrations look like a lot of fun, or you know the author and have enjoyed his or her previous works. You may even be simply looking for a specific subject to go along with seasonal lessons or themes. Then, you take it home and begin to read it out loud—only to discover that it quickly becomes a new favorite. That was the case for my daughter and me when we read Sam McBratney’s I Love It When You Smile.

I had been compiling a list of books to buy for my daughter for Valentine’s Day—or rather, our Valentine’s Advent. She gets to open up a little box every day from February 1 to February 14, and each box contains a treat or a paper heart with something written on it. Four of those hearts are always books. It’s not like there are a million Valentine’s books out there, but there are a good number of books about love. When I saw this book, I thought it would be perfect—and I was right.

The story is about a mother kangaroo and her grumpy little boy, Roo. Roo just wakes up on the wrong side of the bed (pouch?) one morning and doesn’t want to smile. He just wants to pout and sulk, like many little kangaroos we all know and love do once in a while; after all, everyone has a bad day now and again.

Roo’s mama knows just what to do. She spends much of the day being silly, tickling Roo and doing all of the silly mama things that she knows will make him smile—but none of them seem to work. Finally, when she says it’s time for breakfast, Roo says he’s not hungry. Mama firmly and lovingly tells him that she is hungry, so they are going to eat. On their way to breakfast, they fall into a mud hole, finally making the little guy smile because it is so funny.

McBratney tells the story with plenty of action words, some of them creating little loops and curves that mirror your voice as you read the story. Doing a grumpy voice for Roo and a happy voice for Mama kangaroo, you can make the story even more fun. One of our favorite parts, when they fall into the puddle, reads, “…slippity… slippity… slide and…” and we both get a kick out of how our voices sound like it’s slipping on mud when we read that part together.

If you’re a McBratney fan already—and who isn’t? He’s written over fifty children’s books, such as the beloved Guess How Much I Love You which has even spawned various toys, calendars and other merchandise—you will probably love this book, too; but if you’re not, it’s still a really fun book for toddlers and young children, especially during those days when they just can’t seem to shake the blues.